Time-fuse for explosive shells or bombs



. H. AUSTIN.

TIME FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE SHELLS 0R BOMBS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1917.

1,342,413. Patented June 8, 1920, v

Fly. Ja.

I J lzwen 2507' HERBERT AUSTIN,

1 OFFICE.

OF 'BROMS'GROVE, ENGLAND.

TIME-FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE SHELLS OR BOMBS.

Application filed June 26, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT AUs'rIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at Bromsgrove, in the county of WVorcester, England, engineer, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Fuses for Explosive Shells or Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

In priming (that is to say, charging with time fuse material) a time fuse for a shell or bomb, it has been found in practice advisable to use a lead or other soft metal, or composition tube charged with such material and to lay this tube within a groove which is provided therefor, It has been found, however, that it cannot be relied upon that the detonation will, in all cases, fire the fuse material within the tube unless the tube has been previously punctured.

Now, this invention comprises, as to its main feature, a-cutter which is operated by the explosive force of the detonation and cuts the tube; and to insure that the material within the tube will with certainty be exposed to the flame of the explosion, an

opening is formed down the cutter which will be partially carried, by the force of the explosion, into the fuse material, this opening being in communication wlth the detonator and thus insuring that the fuse material will be directly exposed to the flame of the explosion.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will now describe practical applications of the same which are lllustrated, by way of example, by the drawings herewith, of which Figure 1 is a section of a fuse to which the invention is applied, the section being taken lengthwise of the axis of the fuse.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fuse shown by Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken 1n the plane 1ndicated by line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a considerably enlarged view of the portion of Fig. 1 which shows the means by which the cutting of the tube is effected.

Fig. 4* is a detached view of the cutter as seen looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view of F 1g. 4 showing a modification of the means by which the cutting of the tube is eifected.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Serial No. 176,985.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the com-- bined cutter and striker needle shown by F 1g. 5 as seen looking in the direction of the arrow of such figure.

which may be turned in relation to the base,

and C a central pin which is screwed into the base and passes through the crown of the dome and is formed with a head 0 be tween which and the dome is interposed a spring washer E. A lug D is formed in fromone side of the dome B, and slidably fitted within an opening (Z of the lug is a cutter m. The base m of this cutter is round and has a sliding fit within the opening d, and the cutting edge is directed rearward. Within the opening (Z, and forward of the cutter, is located a detonator d, and within a portion of reduced diameter of the said opening which is forward of the detonator is slidably fitted a striker needle 70 H is a circular hammer which is normally held forward within the dome B- by a spiral spring J which surrounds the pin C. When the shell or bomb to which the fuse has been applied is shot forward, the hammer H hangs back, owing to its inertia, and strikes the striker needle 72,3 and drives its point into the detonator (Z, and the force of the detonation drives the cutter forward into the fuse tube n.

A hole m is drilled through the center of the base m of the cutter and for such distance. into the blade m as provides an opening m in the blade which will insure that when the cutter has been driven into the tube a such opening will be exposed to the fuse material within the tube, whereby such fuse material will be exposed to the flame of the detonation which passes through the base. A shearing pin (1 is passed through the side of the dome B and into the side of the base m of the cutter, the purpose of this pin being that the cutter, and consequently the detonator, may be depended upon to ofler sufficient resistance to the force of the striker needle to insure that the needle will fire the detonator, the forceof the detonation then causing the base of the cutter to shear the pin.

The striker needle is formed with a collar k which has a sliding fit within the portion of reduced diameter of the opening (Z, and this collar is normally against a shoulder of such opening, and a head 7&5

of such needle projects through a portion of from which the cutter blade on projects.

The detonator (Z' is in position immediately forward of the needle 7L3, and beyond the detonator is a pin 29 which is formed with a collar 32 which bears against the forward face of the detonator, and with a shank which is fitted slid-ably through a hole of reduced diameter which is formed through the forward end of the lug D. The ham mer H, as it strikes back in relation to the shell or bomb, strikes against the pin 2) and drives the detonator d against the striker needle lbs, and the force of the detonation drives the cutter into the fuse tube. In this case two holes m are drilled through the base we of the cutter, inclining toward and joining one another and running a sumcient distance into the cutter blade m to insure that an opening m will be formed through the blade which will enter and be exposed to the fuse material when the cutter has been driven into the fuse tube a. In this case, also, a shearing pin is shown to pass through the side of the dome B and to enter the base 171/ of the cutter, the purpose in this case being to support the needle and insure that it will fire the detonator.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pa ent, is i 1. A time fuse for an explosive shell or bomb, having a groove, a tube containing time fuse material located within such groove, a detonator, a cutter which is exposed to the force of the detonation, a striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and thereby brings the striker needle and the detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter into the tube, substantially as set forth.

2. A time fuse for an explosive shell or bomb, having a groove, a tube containing time fuse material located within such groove, a detonator located within a chamber of the fuse, a cutter within such cham her, a striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to'the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and brings the striker needle and the 7 time fuse detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter into the tube, substantially as set fort 3. A time fuse for an explosive shell or bomb, having a groove, a tube containing time fuse material located within such groove, a detonator, a cutter which is exposed to the force of the detonation, a striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and thereby brings the striker needle and the detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter into the tube, and said cutter formed with an opening which at one end is exposed to the flame of the detonation and at the other end is exposed, when the cutter has entered the fuse tube, to the fuse material within the tube, substantially as set forth.

4. A time fuse for an explosive shell or ,bomb, having a groove, a tube containing time fuse material located within such groove, a detonator, a cutter which is ex posed to the force of the detonation, a striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and thereby brings the striker needle and the detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter into the tube, and said cutter formed with an opening which at one end is exposed to the flame of the detonation and at the other end is exposed at a side of the cutter in position to be exposed to the fuse material within the tube when the cutter has entered the tube, substantially as set forth.

5. A time fuse for an explosive shell or bomb, having a groove, a tube containing material located within such groove, a detonator, a cutter which is exposed to the force of the detonation, a striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and thereby brings the striker needle and the detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter into the tube, and the operative portion of said cutter formed as a blade, substantially as set forth.

6. A time fuse for an explosive shell or bomb, having a groove, a tube containing time fuse material located within such groove, a detonator, a cutter which is exposed to the force of the detonation, a shearmg pm which prevents such cutter from moving except under considerable force, a

striker needle, and a hammer which, owing to its inertia, moves back in relation to the fuse, as the shell or bomb is shot forward, and thereby brings the striker needle and the detonator into contact with one another, causing detonation which drives the cutter thereby force the cutter into the fuse, rupturing the same and permitting ignition thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed 15 my name this 7th day of June, 1917, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT AUSTIN.

WVitnesses:

ERNEST HARPER, KATHLEEN M. THOMPSON. 

